Jake Paul vs. Gervonta 'Tank' Davis: Atlanta fight off, Miami battle planned

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Courtesy of State Farm Arena

ATLANTA - The proposed boxing match between Jake Paul and Gervonta Davis is no longer taking place in the Peach State as Georgia regulators said the promoter withdrew its request to stage the fight in the state.

ORIGINAL STORY: Jake Paul to fight Gervonta 'Tank' Davis in November exhibition on Netflix

Georgia out for Paul vs. ‘Tank’

What we know:

Rick Thompson, chairman of the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission, told USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday that Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), co-founded by Paul and business partner Nakisa Bidarian, pulled its applications for permits and rule waivers. Thompson said the withdrawal was significant given the promotion had already been marketing the Nov. 14 fight.

On Wednesday, the office of Georgia Secretary of State confirmed the applications were withdrawn.

The commission had been set to vote this week on whether to allow the matchup despite the significant weight difference between the fighters, according to USA Today. Paul, who weighed nearly 200 pounds in his last appearance, had sought to face Davis, a 135-pound division champion. Thompson said that disparity presented major concerns.

The fight had been billed as a milestone for Paul, the 28-year-old YouTuber turned boxer, who has typically fought opponents well past their prime. Davis, in contrast, is an active champion and one of the sport’s most recognizable names.

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What we don't know:

FOX 5 Atlanta has reached out to MVP and State Farm for additional information.

Netflix moves match to Miami

What's next:

The highly anticipated showdown between Jake Paul and Gervonta "Tank" Davis will now take place at Miami’s Kaseya Center on Friday, Nov. 14, Most Valuable Promotions announced Wednesday. The fight will stream live worldwide on Netflix at no additional cost to its more than 300 million members.

The bout, billed as "Jake vs. Tank," matches Paul (12-1, 7 KOs), the social media star turned boxer, against Davis (30-0-1, 28 KOs), an undefeated three-division world champion regarded as one of the sport’s hardest punchers.

The fighters will promote the matchup with two press conferences next week, both free and open to the public. The first will be held Monday, Sept. 22, at 6 p.m. at Palladium Theater in New York City, followed by a second at Kaseya Center in Miami on Tuesday, Sept. 23, also at 6 p.m.

Tickets will be available through a presale beginning Tuesday, Sept. 23, at 10 a.m. on JakevsTank.com. General sales open Wednesday, Sept. 24, at noon on Ticketmaster.com.

The event caps years of callouts and rivalry between Paul, known for redefining boxing promotion through spectacle, and Davis, often compared to Mike Tyson for his knockout power. It also marks MVP’s third live event on Netflix in the past year, following Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 in July.

Paul, Davis on fight

What they're saying:

"New city, same mission, seek and destroy the tank," Paul said in a statement. "Kaseya Center. Friday, November 14. I'm bringing the heat, and Miami will see me take down this angry elf while the world watches live on Netflix."

Davis countered: "Jake Paul has been cherry picking in the sport of boxing for a while now, but he picked the wrong opponent this time. He better start losing some weight, chasing some chickens, and pray that helps him some on fight night! Thank you to Netflix for giving me the opportunity to whoop this clown!"

Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, said moving the fight to Miami raised the stakes. "Most Valuable Promotions, together with Netflix, is bringing the most disruptive fight of the year to Miami, and we could not be more thrilled to showcase this blockbuster event at Kaseya Center," Bidarian said. "On Friday, November 14, fans in Miami and tens of millions watching globally will witness two of boxing’s most electrifying stars collide in a once-in-a-lifetime showdown."

Atlanta Sports News Florida